Below is List of Sustainable Recommendations for Your Home and Lifestyle
Plus a blue flyer (at the bottom) that you can photograph for your smart phone!
Your Yard:
1. No Pesticides on Your Grass (illegal in Montgomery County, Maryland). This destroys the ecosystem, . To care for your grass, we recommend:
2. Mow, Don’t Blow Your Leaves: When your leaves fall in autumn, mow them with the grass. This will provide your lawn with free mulch and also offer a habitat for nature’s small organisms to build a healthy ecosystem.
3. Mow Less: Try mowing every two weeks instead of weekly. That allows the grass to grow slightly longer, which makes the grass more healthy and vibrant, and slightly more natural looking. Also, you have instantly cut your carbon foot print in half!
4. Aerate and Over Seed: In early spring and fall, aerate and over seed your yard. Over seeding is the best way to fight weed growth. If you already have a lot of weeds, you can ask your landscaper to hand pick them, but eventually over seeding will win the day!
5. Use Organic Fertilizer When You Seed: As an example, spread granular fertilizer such as Ringer’s Lawn Restore or spread and mow your leaves into natural mulch.
6. Weeds: Remember, the weeds will not disappear but the grass should continue to dominate the space.
7. No Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers (soon to be illegal in the Town of Somerset): Please find all info here.
8. Storm Water Management: We recommend you to find ways to trap the storm water at the lower side of your property, so that a pool forms during a rain shower. You can also create dry wells to temporarily store the water. With each property caring for its own storm water, the problem is significantly alleviated. There are Montgomery County grants available for this.
Your Home:
1. Insulation: Have Pepco come to inspect your home and recommend more sustainable options. This can make a HUGE difference.
2. Home Items: LED lights, Electric Furnace, Electric Stove and Electric Dryer, use Electric Tankless Water Heaters (ie, no fossil fuels, eg, oil, gas, propane).
3. Renewable Energy: Place solar panels on your roof (only if it faces south and has a clear sky above) AND change your Pepco bill to use 100% renewable energy. It takes only five minutes and you will actually save money, click here.
4. Compost: Create a compost corner in your yard or use the Town of Somerset’s free compost service, click here.
5. Reduce Paper Use: Use Clothe Napkins multiple times, with a unique identifying napkin ring for each family member.
6. Recycle: Make sure to remove plastic tape from cardboard boxes and rinse out all plastic containers before placing them in the blue recycle bucket.
Lifestyle:
1. Electric Vehicle (EV): Buy an EV and receive a Federal and State rebates. You can also buy a Hybrid Plug-In, which allows you to use electric energy in locally (95% of all driving) and hybrid for long trips.
2. Vegetarian or Vegan Meals: Reduce the consumption of meat. Chicken has 1/6 the carbon footprint of red meat, turkey has 1/8. 50% of all fish are now farmed in non-environmentally friendly conditions.
3. Offset Your Carbon Footprint: To offset airplane travel, use of fossil fuels in the home and/or business, go to this website. Obviously, offsetting your carbon footprint is the last resort, as opposed to reducing it.
4. Reduce use of Plastics: Carry your own reusable water bottle, avoid products with plastics, including clothing, food containers, and package materials.
Please let us know if you have any further questions by contacting us here.